1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,864 and 5,480,346 disclose apparatuses for suspending a sausage from a stick in which the stick is supported by stick supporting hooks which move together with the hooks for suspending the sausage. However, in a case where a stick which is curved in an arcuate shape along its longitudinal direction is used due to such as carelessness in handling, with these known apparatuses, although the stick is supported by the stick supporting hooks, the stick is not supported at a fixed position since the stick is supported over the entire length of the stick. As a result, it is difficult for the stick to be inserted into the loops of a sausage suspended from the hooks. The apparatus disclosed in JP-A-63-219334 concerns a stick supplying apparatus for supplying a curved stick onto stick supporting hooks. With this apparatus as well, since the stick is supported by the stick supporting hooks over the entire length of the stick, the stick is not supported at a fixed position.
In the case of the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,105, the stick is not disposed at a position below the hooks for suspending a sausage linked in the form of a chain at a twisted portion, but the stick is disposed in front of the row of hooks, and the loops delivered from the hooks onto the stick move toward a front end of the stick by sliding on the stick. With this known technique, the supply of an ensuing sausage to the apparatus is possible even if the stick is not removed, but the possibility of the occurrence of untwisting of the twisted portions due to the sliding motion of the sausage is potentially present.
The known apparatuses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,864 and 5,480,346 have hooks for supporting the stick at a position below the hooks for suspending a sausage, and the movement of the sausage toward the front end of the stick is effected in a state in which the sausage is suspended from the hooks. With these apparatuses, the rear end of the stick is not disposed so as to be located in front of a leading loop suspended from the hook, and the stick is supported at a position where its rear end and the leading loop substantially coincide with each other. For this reason, the supply of the ensuing sausage is impossible unless the stick is removed, and the supply of the ensuing sausage must be set on standby until completion of the processing of both ends of the sausage, which is effected before removal of the stick, so that there is a problem in terms of productivity.
The apparatus disclosed in JP-A-63-219334 concerns the apparatus for supplying a curved stick onto stick supporting members, while an apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,346 (FIGS. 66 and 67) is comprised of a loop forming device in which hooks for suspending a sausage and hooks for supporting a stick are provided at upper and lower positions as well as a stick supplying device in which a stick transferring member for supplying the stick onto the stick supporting hooks reciprocates in the lateral direction of the stick between the upper and lower hooks. These known apparatuses do not disclose an apparatus for automatically removing the stick from the stick supporting members. JP-A-63-56245 discloses an apparatus having a device for supplying a stick onto a screw feeder and a stick removing device for moving the stick with sausage suspended therefrom in an upward direction from the screw feeder. This known apparatus requires separate devices for supplying the stick and removing the stick.